Garden club to create new 'energy' at park

GAYLORD — One of Gaylord’s parks will soon be getting a landscaping makeover, thanks to the efforts of the local garden club and a national magazine.

The Energy Outlet, a community fitness park on the Otsego County Sportsplex grounds, has been selected by Real Simple magazine to undergo renovations headed by a professional landscape architect. The park was chosen as the winner of the magazine’s national “Seeds of Goodwill” essay contest held earlier this year.

Edelweiss Garden Club members Karen Gurchiek and Carol Brown sat down with Sportsplex executive director Bill Michaels in January to draft an essay explaining why the park deserved a renovation.

“Members of the (Edelweiss Garden) club noticed the poor condition the park was in, compared to how it was when it opened,” said Michaels of the club’s decision to nominate the Energy Outlet for a facelift. “We have not been able to keep those gardens up. We want to revitalize it and have a little more pride in it.”

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A phone call from Time, Inc. — the magazine’s parent company — on Jan. 27 announced the Edelweiss club’s essay had been chosen from a pool of 9,000 entries. Grand prize for the contest was $5,000 in gift certificates redeemable at garden centers, and an additional $1,000 to cover landscape design consultation.

“We were very excited to get the call,” said Sue Symkowiak, Edelweiss president. “Everyone’s thrilled to be maintaining the garden in the coming years.”

A committee of Edelweiss Garden Club members met with Vernon Dubble of New Horizon Landscape, architect Todd Seidell and Michaels earlier this month to discuss ways to use the money for park improvements. Being considered are plantings of shade trees, and perrenials and shrubs for color.

According to Michaels, the Sportsplex Board of Directors is looking at other upgrades to the park, such as safety features, an improved sprinkler system and a pavilion. Those projects would be funded separately through a combination of donations and Sportsplex funds.

Work is expected to begin in early June. The park will remain open to the public. After work is completed, the park will be featured in an issue of Real Simple magazine.

“The basic goal is to make the facility more user-friendly and increase its use, but we also hope to see a greater appreciation from the people who already use it,” Michaels added.

The contest was sponsored by Aveeno Products through Real Simple magazine, which offers ways readers can simplify their lives through tips on organization, preparing meals, cleaning and other life skills.

Edelweiss Garden Club has 58 members and maintains six gardens in the Gaylord area. The club is a member of Michigan Garden Clubs, Inc. and National Garden Clubs, Inc.